Another Sorry Mess For Boxing

February 13, 1990

In the good old days of boxing-assuming that is not a contradiction in terms-when your guy took it on the chin, you ritually declared ``We wuz robbed`` and pretty much called it a day until the next fight.

In the good old days of most sports, their charm was their escapism, that they could serve as allegories of life and society without the complications and periodic ugliness. When a contest was settled, it was settled. It might not have been fair, but screaming about it was part of the fun and a reminder that life isn`t.

Nothing is uncomplicated anymore, certainly not sports. Ask the New York Knicks basketball team, which had to endure days of waiting on appeal until the National Basketball Association ruled that it did indeed beat our Bulls on a disputed last-millisecond shot. The Bulls were technically correct, but humans do make mistakes-including timekeepers who don`t start the clock on time.

Consider now the case of James ``Buster`` Douglas, who did something extraordinary in Tokyo the other night and learned in a hurry that life truly isn`t fair, especially if you beat the wrong person. Douglas pummeled the glowering, invincible Mike Tyson into an omelette to become the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. It was the biggest upset since Rocky Balboa left Apollo Creed on the mat, and it was refreshingly good for a polluted sport in need of heroes.

It was not good enough for promoter Don King, who has made a fortune of manipulating the Mike Tysons and the world of boxing, and who saw bigger fortunes in peril. King cried foul because early in the fight Douglas was down for 12 seconds, long enough for a knockout. But the referee started his count late. Douglas did what boxers are supposed to do; he took his count from the referee and came up at nine-one second in time. It is unconscionable in any sport that the athlete would be punished for an official`s mistake.

Nevertheless, at King`s prodding the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council have suspended the result, while they consider whether to declare Douglas or Tyson the winner, or rule no contest. Meantime, the International Boxing Federation has accepted Douglas as its champion, while the handlers for Evander Holyfield-presumptuously scheduled as Tyson`s next victim-are threatening bigger trouble if their man doesn`t get to fight whoever is champion. Do not even ponder why boxing has three ruling bodies; it is part of the sport`s descent into a miasma of greed, crass politics and feuding fiefdoms.

Unless the WBA and WBC want to officially sanction another of boxing`s low moments, they will get this over with and declare Douglas the undisputed champion. And Tyson will take his defeat like a champion, knowing that inevitably there will be a rematch to settle it the right way. And Don King will shut up.

Hope for that and hope that Hollywood doesn`t get wind of this. Or coming soon at a theater near you, you will see ``Rocky XIV: The Litigation.``